Sri Lanka

Posted by SURESH SAMPATH on Saturday, February 26, 2011


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Sri Lanka Travel and Tourism

Posted by SURESH SAMPATH

Sri Lanka Travel and Tourism
"Marco Polo considered Sri Lanka the finest island of its size in all the world, and you'll likely agree after exploring the country's fabled delights. What takes your fancy? Beaches? The coastal stretch south of Colombo offers palm-lined sandy expanses as far as the eye can see. Culture? Try the Kandyan dances, a procession of elephants or the masked devil dances. Ruins? You'll find enough ancient and inspiring architecture in the cities of Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa to satisfy that inner archaeologist, we promise. And then there's the natural wealth for which Sri Lanka is rightly renowned. Head for the hill country to escape the heat of the plains, where the coast fades away to reveal gorgeous rolling hills often carpeted with tea plantations. The entire island is teeming with bird life and exotics like elephants and leopards are not uncommon. To top it all off, the people are friendly, the food is delicious and costs are low" - Lonely Planet
"Dear me, it is beautiful." - Mark Twain,  when his ship reached Ceylon in the 1890s
[ PLAMTREE! ]Amazing Sri Lanka[ PARADISE! ] 
Tourist Attractions in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka Hotels & Accomodations  

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Sri Lanka Society & Culture : Customs, Rituals & Traditions

Posted by SURESH SAMPATH


Sri Lanka Society & Culture : Customs, Rituals & Traditions
Sri Lankan Music, Theatre and Dancing z_p22-kandy1.jpg (16590 bytes)
  • Classical Dances of Sri Lanka( The origin of Sri Lankan dances goes back to immemorial times of aboriginal tribes and "yakkas" (devils). According to a Sinhalese legend, Kandyan dances originate, 2500 years ago, from a magic ritual that broke the spell on a bewitched king.) 
  • Dance and music of the Sinhalese( Our historical record, the ‘Mahavamsa’, tells us that the Aryan Prince Vijaya heard music on the day he landed on the shores of Lanka.According to Pali scriptures the ‘Yakkas’ (one of the tribes inhabiting the Island at the time) were fond of songs and dances.It may be that some of the devil dances that have remained with us to the present day owe their origin to the ‘Yakka’ dances.) 
  • Drums of Sri Lanka( Sri Lanka has been having many types of drums in use from ancient times, and reference to these are found in some of the classical literature e.g. Pujawaliya, Thupawansaya, Dalada Siritha etc. Although there had been about 33 types of drums, today we find only about ten and the rest are confined only to names.) 
  •  Devil Dance Masks of Sri Lanka ( The yakun natima, or devil dance ritual of Sri Lanka, is nothing if not full of drama. Not just a charade or interval designed to entertain, the yakun natima is a carefully crafted ritual with a history reaching far back into Sri Lanka's pre-Buddhist past. )
  • Kolam, Sokari & Nadagam: Folk drama of Sri lanka (There were numerous forms of folk drama some of which were confined to certain areas in the country. For example, Kolam, which is a very popular form of folk drama in the coastal areas is unknown in the hill country. Sokari, on the other hand is a type of folk drama, which is limited to the up country. The Nadagama is a form of folk opera, which has been popular in the villages along the western coast from Chilaw right down to Tangalle in the deep south. These have been generally performed throughout the night.)
  • Did Sinhala drama originate in Christmas? (The earliest form of Sinhala drama we could speak of today is Nadagam. There is evidence that nadagam have originated in Christmas.)
Sri Lankan Weddings: Customs & Traditions
  • Traditional Sinhalese Marriage Laws and Customs (When a low-caste man meets one of 'a high caste or approaches his house, he should make a bow and salutation in the manner already described. He who is saluted in this way should acknowledge it simultaneously, with a very slight salutation of the same kind. )
  • A white sheet and a copper coin: Impressions of a wedding in the 16th Century (The coin meant the girl had proven her virginity. She would be accepted into the family as the wife of their youngest son. )
  • Pavuru Valalu (Walls Within) ( Review of The Sinhala film Pavuru Valalu: Life is not the problem, but the conditions under which it is offered )
  • Sri Lankan Marriage Laws (In Sri Lanka, several legal systems govern the law of family relations. The General law (a combination of Roman Dutch and English law) is the main system applicable to every one except if they are governed by the personal laws. There are three other parallel systems of personal laws in Sri Lanka, i.e., Kandyan Law, The Thesavalamai and the Muslim Law. These laws are grounded in ancient customary practices and/or religion. )
  • Sri Lankan Wedding Portal - Manaali.com (Learn more about  Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim and Church Weddings in Sri Lanka)
Kandyan Customs & Traditions
  • The social etiquette of the Kandyans (According to an early English compilation of Kandyan law, namely John Armour"s "Grammar of Kandyan Law" (early 19th century), the consent of both parents is necessary for a valid marriage. )
  • A Kandyan wedding in highlife in the 19th century (The account describes the marriage of Mr. Wilfred Ratwatte of far-off Matale up in the hills and of Miss Dullewa that had taken place on January 10th, 1890.)
  • Kandiyan Bridel Jewellery (The Kandyan bride in her traditional costume of the Osariya (sari) and the complementing regalia looks like a queen and, she is certainly the cynosure of all during the wedding ceremony.)
  • Kandyan Marriage Laws (In Sri Lanka, several legal systems govern the law of family relations. The General law (a combination of Roman Dutch and English law) is the main system applicable to every one except if they are governed by the personal laws. There are three other parallel systems of personal laws in Sri Lanka, i.e., Kandyan Law, The Thesavalamai and the Muslim Law. These laws are grounded in ancient customary practices and/or religion. )
Ancient Lankan Customs & Rituals
  • Rituals and customs enriched ancient Lanka ( Customs and rituals have been part and parcel of the Lankan society from ancient times. They have been handed down from generation to generation spanning over the 2,500 year old history of the country. Most of these customs and rituals are connected with the day to day lives of the people in the social and religious spheres. )
  • 'Eka-ge-kema' :  Fraternal polyandry among the olden-day Sinhalese ( The Sinhalese custom of fraternal polyandry where a wife would be shared in common by several brothers has long fascinated those interested in local society and culture. The practice euphemistically referred to as 'eka-ge-kema' or 'eating in one house' is no longer legal, though it is possible that it may still be surviving in some remote areas.)
  • Olden day Sinhalese sports and games ( In ancient times, chivalric art (sippa) such as archery (danu-sippa) and riding on horse-back or on elephants (hatth-assa-sippa) were commonly practised by princes and scions of noble families. Wrestling was a highly developed art in the country. )
  • Ankeli Puja and the Pattini Cult (The sport that Robert Knox writes about is the offering of ankeli puja to the Goddess Pattini. Ankeli puja in the villages in the hill country was almost an annual event some decades ago.)
  • Dress & Ornamentation of ancient Sri Lankans( The royal ornaments are traditionally described in 13th century literary sources as being sixty-four in number. )
  • Sinhalese birth rituals of yore ( The olden day Sinhalese women as of now craved for certain foods when expecting and this was known as dola-duka. Women deprived of satisfying their dola-duka cravings were said to become weak and emaciated, so that it was very important that such desires were satisfied..)
  • Ancient food and drinks of Sri Lanka (As we have already seen, rice occupied a very special place in traditional Sinhalese society. It was a community based on rice. Everyone from the king downwards had an interest in agriculture.)
  • Ancient farming rituals of Sri Lanka ( With the introduction of Buddhism to Sri Lanka in the third century B.C. a centralized government was introduced with the king as the supreme supporter of Buddhism, these rituals too underwent a complete change in its conception.)
  • Wedding rituals in the 16th Century ( Lunch, called the "adara batha" (the meal of love), lasted for over three hours. The bride and the groom seated at the head of the table ate from the same plate. When he thought no one was looking, he pushed pieces of fish towards her. She took them timidly, but picked at her food.)
  • Traditional & indigenous music Drums in Sri Lanka ( The low-country beraya (drum), is cylindrical in shape and is similar to the Kandyan drum, but is of a uniform width along the cylinder. This drum is used at many religious festivals, and also in all low-country dance and music. It is also called the Ruhunu beraya, Dik beraya or Yak beraya. The Davula from the Sabaragamuwa region is also cylindrical and similar to the low-country beraya, except that it is shorter in length.)
  • Kohomba Kankariya - Fighting the devil ( According to legend, the origin of this ritual dates back even to King Panduvasudeva's era in which it was born.)
  • Sri Lankan Amulets and charms (People believe that by wearing of amulets and charms one can keep away misfortune. Magic and superstition were the products of the ages of ignorance. The Veddhas of this country are famous for incantations to avoid harm which they believe are caused by the dead. Charms and invocations are done by Kattandiyas..)
Buddhist Ceremonies & Rituals
  • The Significance of Poya Days ( Even before the birth of Buddhism, Asian ascetics in the ancient times when there were no calendars, made it a practice on full moon days to cease worldly pursuits and engage themselves in religious activities. )
  • The Poya Days ( A practising Buddhist observes the poya day by visiting a temple for the rituals of worship and, often, by undertaking the Eight Precepts )
  • The Bodhi-Puja ( The veneration of the Bodhi-tree (pipal tree: ficus religiosa) has been a popular and a widespread ritual in Sri Lanka. The ritualistic worship of trees as abodes of tree deities (rukkha-devata) was widely prevalent in ancient India )
  • Bodi Puja: Religious beliefs and practices in relation to the Bo-tree  ( Lord Buddha is the only religious teacher who said that people of other faiths who lead meritorious lives would be reborn in in low spiritual plans or higher spiritual plains depending on the merit gained by them. These beings of low spiritual planes often take refuge in Bo Trees. When people offer Bodi Pujas to such Bo Trees they at the end offer merit to beings in the Bo Trees. These beings accept the merit offered to them and gets elevated in the spiritual world. It may be that some of them are capable of granting relief to persons in distress who offer Bodi Pujas to the Bo Tree seeking relief.)
  • The Pirit Ceremony ( Pirit-chanting is a very popular ceremony among the Buddhists of Sri Lanka. As the term itself implies it means a safety rune (paritta = protection), the ceremonial recital of which is regarded as capable of warding off all forms of evil and danger (vipatti) )
  • Katina ceremony : one of the main festivals in the Buddhist calendar (The Katina ceremony was the culmination of the Vas season. At the end of three months a special robe known as the Katina was offered to monks of every monastery which observed the Vas)Sanghika-dana (Almsgiving) & Mataka-vastra-puja (Funerals) ( Sanghika-dana, meaning "the alms given to the community of monks." Such a daana is often preceded by an all-night pirit ceremony. Mataka-vastra-puja is "offering of cloth on behalf of the dead" prior to the cremation or the burial of the body )
  • Monastic Ceremonies: Vassa and Kattina ( The Vassa, a three-month rains retreat, was instituted by the Buddha himself and was made obligatory for all fully ordained bhikkhus )
  • Bali & Thovil Ceremonies ( Bali is the ceremony wherein the presiding deities of the planets (graha) are invoked and placated in order to ward off their evil influences. Thovil or "devil-dancing" is another ritualistic healing ceremony. )
  • The Gods, Devalayas & Deva Worship ( This the worship of deities. In Sri Lanka there are four deities regarded as the guardians of the Buddha-sasana in the island: Vishnu, Saman, Kataragama, and Vibhishana. )
  • RELIGIOUS CONDITIONS IN PRE-BUDDHIST SRI LANKA  ( Prior to the advent of Buddhism, there was evidently no national or state religion systematically organised in the Island of Sri Lanka. In the words of Xuan Zang (Hsuan-tsang) "The Kingdom of Sinhala was addicted to immoral religious worship.)
Vesak festival
  • Wesak festival ( One of the biggest religious festivals of Sri Lanka, Vesak - a thrice-blessed day for Buddhists as it commemorates the birth of Buddha, his attaining Enlightenment and his passing away into Nirvana.)
  • The Vesak pandal (Thorana) ( The happiest occasion for children are the Vesak nights when they go out with their parents and friends to view the lights and other decorations in their respective villages and or cities )
  • Vesak lanterns (Vesak is the Buddhist 'festival of light'. Light -no more the flickering candle or oil lamp flame, but the harsh electric bulb- plays a huge part in the religious observances of this Thrice Blessed Day.)
Village life: Ceremonies & Rituals
  • Village Life: Living in harmony with few wants (Just as folk tales taught simple lessons, the rural folk were simple people leading an uncomplicated life. They had few wants. Theirs was not a complicated life. Most of them were paddy cultivators. They needed water for the paddy fields when the plants start growing. Normally a village would have a small tank from which they got water.)
  • Life in the Village: On the Origins of Lanka (Some 2,500 years ago, Lanka was composed of 24,000 villages. Even today most of it is rural. Although various doctrines have found their way to the island over the centuries, Lanka's living traditions overpowered them all. As in the beginning, even today we still worship trees, hills, rocks, springs and elephants. Traditional villagers zealously protect these ancient forms.)
  • Working in the paddy field (There are several stages in the preparation of the paddy field. The first stage is to clear the field by removing the weeds, which grow when the field is allowed to rest after harvesting.)
  • Harvesting time in the village (Harvesting of paddy becomes a major event in the village taking the form of a celebration. A good harvest is always welcomed by the villagers who will then be assured of the staple diet till the next harvest.)
  • The 'gamarala' - fascinating character in the village (The folk tales revolving round the 'gamarala' are the most popular. They are fascinating stories related to the life of the 'gamarala', the village chieftain.)
  • The Village and the Temple (Just as much as the paddy field and the tank were of vital importance to the peasants, so was the temple. All the villagers being Buddhists, every village had a temple.)
  • Customs and rituals associated with cultivation in Rajarata (THE prosperity of a village depends on the availability of water for cultivation. This is especially so in Rajarata where paddy cultivation is the livelihood of the people.)
  • Gam Maduwa (Gam maduwa is a village affair. It is of special interest to the farmers, for whom a 'gam maduwa' would bring in blessings of the gods for success in their agricultural activities. Others too believe that it would bring a lot of good to the village. It falls into the category of rituals known as 'shanti karma' and is a ritual with mass participation.)
  • "Nikan Ava" (Generally, the Sri Lankan villagers are very cautious before revealing the purpose or the job for which they have come to a place. They first assess the situation at the host-home and measure up conviviality in the environment whether the one whom the visitor wants to meet is in an amiable frame of mind or there are others whom he does not want to hear about, what he will talk, request or complain of.)New
  • Superstitions & Omens in Sri Lanka (The best omen for a person setting out on a journey is for him to meet anyone carrying a pot of water, milk or white flowers first. But it is unlucky to meet those with shaven heads or with their hair (konde ) loose, as a sign of mourning, or those with great physical defects or a woman carrying a pot or ‘chattie’. It is also considered unlucky for a person to stumble against something or to be interrogated as to his destination at the outset of the journey)
Sri Lanka New Year ( Aluth Avurudda )
Sinhala & Tamil New Year festival
The Hindus and Buddhists in Sri Lanka celebrate their New Year (Avurudu) either on the 13th or 14th of April. This event is  erroneously called Sinhala and Tamil New Year. Not all the Sinhalese and not all the Tamils celebrate the new year in April. It is the Buddhists and Hindus that celebrate this event in April. The Christians in both communities celebrate the New Year  on the 1st of January.
  • Sinhala and Tamil New Year - Introduction (In April (the month of Bak) the islanders (Sri Lankans) celebrate their National New Year Aluth Avurudhu in Sinhala and Puththandu in Tamil. The sun moving from the Meena Rashiya (House of Pisces) to the Mesha Rashiya (House of Aries) signals the dawning of the Sinhala/Tamil New Year. )
  • Avurudu Rituals ( Sinhala and Hindu New Year custom and traditions are mainly based on Ayurveda system of Medicine which has been developed on the Principles of Hindu Philosophy. )
  • The Sinhala & Tamil New Year: Festival overlaid by legend and myth and shrowded by superstition ( The mythological conception of a `Aluth Avuruddha' is that the Prince of Peace called Indradeva descends upon the earth to ensure peace and happiness. He comes in a white carriage wearing on his head a white floral crown seven cubits high. He first dips, like a returning space capsule plunges, breaking earth's gravity, into a `kiri' or sea of milk. )
  • The Sinhala & Tamil New Year: How the Tamils celebrate the New Year (Giving thanks to the Sun God is observed by making ``Pongal''. The Hindus always begin by worshipping and offering poojas to Lord Wina Vinayaga to have his blessing in the coming year for prosperity. ) 
  • Sinhala Avurudu: Recalling a New Year of yesteryear (The first bath for the New Year had to be taken at an auspicious time as well. For this a special herbal oil was brought from the temple.) 
  • Sinhala Avurudu: Socio-anthropological significance of `Avurudu' (The history of the New Year goes back to our primitive period in history. Various beliefs, perhaps those associated with fertility, gave birth to many rituals, customs and ceremonies connected with the New Year. ) 
  • Memories of Sinhala Avurudu of a bygone era( During Sinhala Avurudu time the whole village transformed itself into a grand festival. ) 
  • The Sinhala Hindu New Year ( celebrated in the month of Bak according to the Sinhalese calendar. The name ‘Bak’ derives from the Sanskrit word ‘bhagya’ meaning ‘fortunate’. )
  • New Year - a national festival for Sri Lanka ( The "cukoo" call of the ‘Koha’ during the harvesting time of Maha, the major rice crop in Sri Lanka, reminds that the New Year is approaching. And the beautiful Erobodu flowers begin to blossom. )
  •  Customs and rituals of Aluth Avurudda (Most of the rituals are based on times calculated according to astrology. ‘Aluth Sahal Mangallaya’, ‘Esala Keliya’ and ‘Karthikeiya Mangalliya’ are essentially indigenous ceremonies based on the beliefs woven around agriculture.)
  • Mythological & Astrological conception of Sinhala & Hindu New Year (The mythological conception concerning the Sinhala 'Aluth Avurudda', more appropriately known as the Hindu New Year (Puduvaruddam), is that the Prince of Peace (Indradeva alias Sakradeva), the god who controls thunder, lightening, wind and rain, and the principal god of the Thavathimsa celestial abode, who is always in conflict with the 'Asuras' (demons), comes down to earth, to ensure peace and happiness for mankind)New
  • Anointing the king's head with 'nanu' (The physicians had to superintend the preparation of a thousand pots of the herbal oil, making use of wild medicinal plants supposed to contain certain mysterious powers to maintain good health. They were kalanduru-ala, sevendra-mul, iriveriya, vishnukranti, asasanda, godamanel-ala, nelum-dandu, nasnaran-mul, eetana, venivelgeta, kohomba-kola, kumkumappu, and gorochana)
  • Ayurveda: Natural Healing with the combination of mind, body, and the soul
    • Ayurveda ( The literal meaning of Ayurveda is ‘science of Life’. The origin of Ayurveda can be traced to the Vedas, which are the oldest available classics of the world.)
    • Traditional Medicine in Sri Lanka ( From ancient times Sri Lanka had a reasonably developed health care and delivery system to cater to the needs of the population. The ancient chronicle of the country ( Mahawansa) tells of a hospital that was established in the capital city in the 4th century B.C.. Ancient ruins of hospitals have been discovered in the then capital cities of Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa. Ancient surgical instruments have been recovered which indicates the system of surgery that has existed.)
    • Herbal Medicines ( It's amazing just how many herbal treatments and cures there are in Sri Lanka. Almost every herb, vegetable and fruit has a wide variety of medicinal properties. In short, there's a cure for every ailment if you know herbs well enough. Herbal medications are also becoming popular exports in Sri Lanka.)
    SRI LANKA PEOPLEOther Ceremonies & Rituals

  • Funeral rites in Sri Lanka  ( Buddhists, Hindus, Christians and Muslims observe different funeral rites when it comes to burying or cremating their dead.After the funeral is over, Buddhists offer 'dana' (alms) to bhikkus on the 7th day and on the 3rd month and at the end of one year, which is considered compulsory, and the merits of such offerings are transferred to the dead to release themselves from any woeful state.) New

  • Snake charmers of Sri Lanka ( A snake charmer begins his performance by removing the lid of the snake basket and playing a few notes on his flute. As if in response to the summoning of the strange and melancholy tune, the cobra will slither out of the basket and gaze around at the growing circle of onlookers. ) 

  • Diyareddha - bathing costume by Sri Lankan women ( The Diyareddha is the most widely used bathing costume by women of Asian countries including Sri Lanka. It is a piece of cloth similar to a sarong. Ladies tie it just above the swell of their breasts and the cloth reaches down their knees.)

  • The Duruthu Perahera at Kelaniya ( A colorful and exciting pageant or perahera will take place in Kelaniya during the month of January)

  • Walli Yak mangallaya (According to myth, legend, and folklore, Gara Yakka has no evil disposition toward humans. But, he has an evil eye; all he wants is to eat- the satisfaction he demands is for his appetite. He is said to have the capacity to eat more than any other devil in the nether world.)

  • Greetings Rituals in Sri Lanka ( Sheaves of betel also play an important part in greetings)

  • Akuru Kiyaweema : A solemn rite of learning in Sri Lanka

  • Rate mahatmayas and korale mahatamayas ( Rate mahatmayas and korale mahatamayas have been household names during the British Raj in Sri Lanka )

  • Buddhist Ceremonies and Rituals of Sri Lanka ( While the specific forms of ritual and ceremony in Sri Lankan popular Buddhism doubtlessly evolved over the centuries, it seems likely that this devotional approach to the Dhamma has its roots in lay Buddhist practice even during the time of the Buddha himself ) 

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    PRE-HISTORY

    Posted by SURESH SAMPATH

    PRE-HISTORY
    During the last one million years, when humans are known to have existed in various parts of India, Sri Lanka was connected to the sub-continent on numerous occasions. The rise and fall of sea level (due to cold/warm fluctuations in the global climate) determined the periodicities of these connections, the last separation having occurred at ca. 7000 BP. There is secure evidence of settlements in Sri Lanka by 130,000 years ago, probably by 300,000 BP and possibly by 500,000 BP or earlier. 
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    4) ARCHAEOLOGICAL EVIDENCE OF TECTONIC ACTIVITY (AND TSUNAMIS) IN SRI LANKA
    5) Prehistoric and early historic burial sites of Lanka
    6) The Lost Continent of Lemuria

    Ancient Chinese Ceramics in Sri Lanka
    A significant collection of ancient ceramics ware from the periods of six Chinese dynasties has been unearthed in Sri Lanka. The earliest ceramics are from the period of Tang Dynasty (618-906A.D).  Ceramics remains from North Song, South Song, Ming, Yuan, and Qing dynasties and ancient Chinese coins have been discovered. Chinese inscriptions found in some of the ancient ports of Lanka provide valuable information on ancient Sino -Sri Lanka relationships and archaeological and historical values of Chinese ceramics found in Sri Lanka.  
    NASA Images find 1,750,000 year old man-made bridge between India and Sri Lanka
    Space images taken by NASA reveal a mysterious ancient bridge in the Palk Strait between India and Sri Lanka. The recently discovered bridge currently named as Adam´s Bridge is made of chain of shoals, c.18 mi (30 km) long.This information is a crucial aspect for an insight into the mysterious legend called Ramayana, which was supposed to have taken place in tredha yuga (more than 1,700,000 years ago).In this epic, there is a mentioning about a bridge, which was built between Rameshwaram (India) and Srilankan coast under the supervision of a dynamic and invincible figure called Rama who is supposed to be the incarnation of the supreme. 

    Guharamaya: A cave of stone age man
    About four miles to the north of Rambukkana,  is a curious structure of stone.  It is called by local folk, Maliyadeva Guharamaya, the dwelling of the last great Initiate of Buddhism in our island. The dolmen at Padavigampola is the only known example in Ceylon of structural work by Stone Age man. 


    The ports of ancient Sri Lanka: Jambukola and Mahatittha
    Jambukola and Mahatittha are two ports frequently alluded to in the Mahavamsa unfolding the earliest historical eras of the Island. Presumably the origin of these ports are not datable, however, it could be assumed without any predilection, that they were in existence long before the colonization of the Island by Aryans in the sixth century BC.  
    Related Articles:
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    Pallemalala discovery: 
    A major archaeological breakthrough on Lanka's pre-historic culture
    This follows the discovery in late 1997 of a shell midden containing the skeletal remains and implements of stone age man in Pallemalala in the Hambantota district. The site, which may roughly be dated to about 4000 B.C. has furnished archaeologists with sufficient material to undertake a somewhat detailed study of this type of man and his culture. Preliminary observations indicate that this stone-age population are genetically related to the Veddahs with whom they share many physical characteristics and cultural traits. 
    Related Articles:
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    2) Walallawita: A 28,000 years old village
    Humans lived in the Walallawita region as far back as 28,000 years ago. Unexcavated caves belonging to the Pahurakanda temple bear evidence to this, according to expert archaeologists.


    Arankale has become an archaeological site, a biological hotspot and a garden of medicinal plants subject to the changing character of nature. The sight takes you 800 years back, when Arhath Maliyadeva, the last Arhath of Sri Lanka, spent his time meditating at Arankale. Huge trees, creepers and stone pillars scattered around Arankale speak of an intriguing civilisation, a bygone era, while rare species of insects, found in abundance, tell of a rich, biological heritage.
    Archaeological eminence of the Ramba Vihara - A landmark in the contemporary history of Sri Lanka, Maha Nagakula was the capital of medieval Sri Lanka in 11th century AD. The Ramba Vihara was the temple of the Maha Nagakula city where a large number of artifacts have been found, leading to research studies The Ramba Viharaya was the Royal Temple. It was also the venue where King Vijayabahu I arrived at in the year 1055 and stayed for 15 years.
     

    Moonstones: first in a flight of steps leading to a Buddhist place of worship The Sinhala for the moonstone is Sandakadapahana (Sanda-Moon, Kada-Half, and Pahana-Stone). It is a semi circular slab of hard granite, gneiss or limestone, depending on ready availability and is the first in a flight of steps leading to a Buddhist place of worship. These are richly decorated in concentric semi circular bands of low relief carvings of flowers, creepers, birds and animals. Many scholars regard moonstones as some of the finest examples of the ancient Sinhalese artists, which is the reason for reference to them in the Mahavamsa itself.
    		Ancient clay stamp seals and sealings of Sri Lanka: The world's oldest clay stamp seal had been unearthed in 1990 in the ancient Mesopotamian city of Ur. This city was situated in Southern Iraq along the river Euphrates, below present day Baghdad. The seal is attributed to a king of the 1st dynasty of Babylon circa 2550 BC. A clay sealing 32x30 mm bearing the legend 'Maharaja Gamini Tissaha Devanampiya' in Nagari Script was found by a villager cultivating his land in Akurugoda in Tissamaharama in 1989. It is attributed to king Saddhatissa 77 - 59 BC. 

    Archeological remains in Sri Lanka
    Locating places mentioned in ancient chronicles is not an easy task. Where there is no scientific way of locating them on the ground except on the basis of physical evidence of stone inscriptions in situ or other archaeological evidence: often their locations have been based on informed gushes depending on the knowledge of the interpreter, but have not always stood the test of time.
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    5. Mahavamsa, Mahavihara and Mahayana
    Maritime Archaeology in Sri Lanka
    Divers at work in Galle Harbour: composite photo by Patrick Baker.Maritime archaeology Sri Lanka
    Sri Lanka is strategically located between Arabia and East Asia, at a natural crossroads of navigational routes, and has been a centre of trade and cultural exchange since ancient times. Sri Lanka's seafaring history, and the archaeological riches of her land sites, suggest that her underwater sites may prove comparably fascinating.A Maritime Archaeology Unit has been formed under the Mutual Heritage Centre, managed by the Central Cultural Fund in cooperation with the Amsterdam Historical Museum & the University of Amsterdam, and sponsored by the Netherlands Cultural Fund. The first major project is the excavation of the Avondster, one of several Dutch East Indiamen wrecked in and outside the harbour at Galle.
    (Go to MaritimeLanka)

    Dutch sailing ships of those seafaring days
    ( It was only recently that Galle was twinned with the beautiful city of Velsen in Holland. In the olden days, Galle received regular visits of Dutch sailing ships known as jachts belonging to the VOC. In fact, several VOC shipwrecks are known to lie at the bottom of the Galle harbour. According to Lieutenant Commander Somasiri Devendra, a Marine Archaeologist involved in a joint Sri Lankan-Dutch-Australian effort in maritime archaeology to study and excavate VOC-era shipwrecks, there are as many as 26 underwater archaeological sites including five ships somewhat larger than the Duyfken lying below the shores of Galle. )

    Dutch Waterways in Sri Lanka
    ( Having established Colombo as their capital the Dutch tried to grow paddy in the Muthurajawela marshes, but found, as the kings had done before them, that changing tides inundated the fields with sea water. Therefore, around the 18th century, the Dutch set up the structures, dams and water cuts which enhanced and developed the old system of waterways to siphon out salt water from the fields and transport cinnamon in barges to the nearest port. )
    		  
    Salvage of 'De Avondster'
    The Avondster was originally an English ship, captured and modified by the Dutch, relegated after a long career to shorthaul coastal voyages, and wrecked in 1659 while at anchor in Galle harbour. She lies close to shore, in only 5 metres of protectively murky water.She was captured by the VOC in 1953 and was renamed "Avondster". On the fateful night of June 23, 1659, when she was loading cargo for India anchored at Black Fort, Galle, she slipped her anchor, drifted off in the perilous rocky area and sank in the soft sand before anything was done.

    Galle- A Port City in History
    Papers from the Seminar - Edited by Jeremy Green & Robert Parthesius

    Galle - the historic port town
    The port was in use in pre-Christian times, but gained in importance after the 12th century. By the 14th century it was arguably the most important port in the country, and it retained this preeminence until 1873 when an artificial harbour was built in Colombo.

    Ship graffiti at Natha Devale in Kandy
    The graffiti are found on the walls of a desecrated shrine located at the Natha Devale complex in Kandy. This complex, has a special significance in relation to the Kingdom of Kandy, the last independent kingdom of Sri Lanka, which came under British rule in 1815.

    Waterways of Serendib
    The system of canals dates back to the time of King Vira Parakrama Bahu VIII of Kotte, the country"s capital for some time in the 15th century. The canals led to Negombo on the Western Coast of Sri Lanka, then a busy seaport and there is evidence that countries such as China, Burma, Rome and Greece traded with the rulers of Lanka at that time.


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    Worst ever tragedy in Sri Lanka History

    Posted by SURESH SAMPATH



    TSUNAMI IMPACT: 'Aid Promoting Big Business'
    TAFREN is dominated by a group of elite business leaders
    Representatives from farming, fishing and anti-corruption groups from the countries hit by the December 2004 disaster say post-tsunami rehabilitation efforts have been marred by inequity, top-down policies and a lack of coordination, financial and policy transparency, and community participation and are urging the European Union (EU), as the largest donor to their countries, to take responsibility for efficient delivery of aid.

    Rebuilding tsunami-hit Buddhist temples in Sri Lanka
    Reconstruction of 197 temples will begin this month
    The Minister for Buddhist Affairs pledges that funds wont come from foreign sources and that volunteers from other religions will be kept away.

    House designed to withstand tsunami  
    1,000 dwellings to be built in wave-hit Sri Lanka
    Carlo Ratti, a teacher at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, was at a wedding in Sri Lanka when the tsunami struck the region last December. When he returned to MIT, he worked on the design of the tsunami-safe(r) house with colleagues at MIT, Harvard University and the British engineering firm Buro Happold.

    Reconstruction slowed to a crawl, hampered by bureaucracy, incompetence and corruption
    Six months after tsunami , thousands of survivors still in sweltering tents
    Chaos and confusion typify the relationship between the international efforts and the Sri Lankan Government. While frustration grows in the aid community, anger is building among the survivors. The angriest are the so-called 100-metre refugees who lost their homes close to the sea and are now forced to live in limbo, barred from rebuilding their homes where they stood and dependent on the Government to build them a home elsewhere.
    Going it alone: Hard lessons for tsunami-relief volunteers
    A harsh dose of reality
    With limited resources and no experience in relief work, the freelancers have struggled in the face of obstinate bureaucracies, profiteering local businessmen, tensions with mainstream aid groups and resistance from villagers, most of whom remain too fearful of another giant wave  or too dependent on aid donations  to leave their refugee camps and return home

    After Tsunami, Mothers Want More Children
    Sri Lankan mothers seeking reversal of tubal ligation
    For the Tsunami victims until now the basic issue was how to survive, now some have started to think how to get the family together again. Many Sri Lankan mothers choose to be sterilized after their second or third child, normally through tubal ligations. The surgery involves cutting a woman's fallopian tubes, then tying or closing them to prevent pregnancies. In the reversal surgery, the tubes are reconnected. The surgery to reconnect the tubes is expensive by Sri Lankan standards -- about 50,000 rupees, the equivalent of $500, and success is far from guaranteed. The Sri Lankan government says it will help families pay for surgery to reverse sterilizations. Some private hospitals, including Nawaloka, say they will perform them at reduced or no cost.

    Man-made trouble in wake of tsunami
    U.S. sex offender, convicted drug trafficker ran Sri Lanka orphanage
    An American with felony convictions for drug trafficking, sexual assault and check fraud surfaced to run an orphanage in Sri Lanka for more than two months. The man, Daniel Curry, 37, is actually Daniel Wooley, 41, and is also known as Daniel Taze the latter a registered sex offender in California. He used the name Fogg while serving time in a Mexican prison for drug trafficking. Somewhere along the way, presumably after his release from prison in March 2003 he linked up with Michelle Curry, a computer professional in San Diego, and started using her surname

    Tsunami may have helped spread of alien species in Sri Lanka
    Spread prickly pears and salt-tolerant mesquite observed
    "Our local plants and animals have not co-evolved with these alien plants so when alien plants dominate in the ecosystem they will reduce the diversity of the local fauna and flora."


    Tsunami Aftermath: Here comes the light
    At the Beach Hut in Arugam Bay things are moving ahead
    Eventually the fog began to lift. A friend visiting from Colombo provided Ranga with a mobile phone and a small loan. Other contributions trickled in from former guests, a Briton, a couple of Australian surfers, a young man from Brooklyn who had visited several years before with his father.


    Aftermath of Tsunami : How did we survive?
    From then on, the Sri Lankans completely looked after me.For three days, Hynes travelled around the south coast looking for Convoy, begging lifts to hospitals that were doubling up as morgues . The kindness of locals kept her going. She was given tea, food and clothing in the hospitals she was checked into, while in one, a woman a complete stranger  sat her up in bed and combed her hair, stroked her arm and urged her to stop crying.

    Sri Lankan principal tells story of tsunami in Komari
    Story of David Kanpathipillai
    It was 15 minutes after the first wave and 15 feet high, and had traveled the Indian Ocean at the speed of a jet. The wall of water slammed through the town. On the YMCA roof, David Kanapathipillai's children watched their mother and grandfather be swept away. But their mother reappeared, swimming to the top. A man who had taken refuge in a coconut tree was able to grab her hand. But the wave was too powerful. She slipped from his grasp. For the second time, her horrified children watched the tidal wave carry their mother away, this time for good. Her body has never been found.

    'Come, Come to Sri Lanka
    Tropical delights of many kinds await those willing to make the long journey
    Time, on the other hand, is treated quite casually. If you ve made the two-day journey to Sri Lanka, you undoubtedly want to relax, but Sri Lankans tend to operate more slowly than you probably like. The 2:15 car that is arranged to meet you might arrive at 3 p.m. instead. Your waiter will disappear indefinitely. The harried New Yorker will either appreciate the lowering of the blood pressure, or burst

    SCIENTOLOGY VOLUNTEERS AND BUDDHIST MONKS  ACCOMODATING SPIRITUAL AND PHYSICAL NEEDS
    Reverend Heber Jentzsch, President of the Church of Scientology International, recently visited Sri Lanka and met with Venerable Dhammawassa, Chief Monk of the Sri Subodharama Buddhist Centre located in Kandy, a hundred miles north of the housing project in Hambantota. The housing project, which was carried out in only 50 days under the supervision of senior Buddhist monk, Venerable Wattegama Dhammawassa Thero, has been racing against the clock, with the monsoon season fast approaching.

    Tsunami aftermath in Sri Lanka : Suffering and Hope
    "We can't expect foreigners to come here to cry for us"
    "I lost my father, but I can't go on crying every day," Mr. Raveendra said. "What's the use of that? He was 80. He couldn't run fast enough from the wave." His attitude reflects Sri Lanka's determination to resurrect its tourism industry from ruin after the Dec. 26 tsunami ravaged much of its coastline. The Tourism Ministry has begun a $6 million marketing campaign to lure visitors back to the island, but the strategy has had only limited success.

    Patch Adams heals the wounds with humor in Sri Lanka
    Clown doctor says laughter can heal tsunami wounds
    The man in the clown suit was Dr. Hunter 'Patch' Adams, the American doctor who inspired a Robin Williams movie and has been travelling the world hoping to change it with love and laughter.
    "I decided to come to Sri Lanka as I have a great feeling of tragedy and desire to encourage people to rebuild after the tsunami,"

    Sri Lankan brew suffers tsunami hangover
    coconut palms damaged many toddy tappers washed away
    The tsunami destroyed hundreds of acres of coconut groves along Sri Lanka's southern coast and swallowed a dozen tappers in Wadduwa alone. Seaside coconut palms the centuries-old drink is tapped from and aged to make alcohol were damaged by December's tsunami, and many workers who used to shin up the trees were washed to their deaths. 

    Sea takes treasures back from museum
    Tsunami swept away hopes of country's first maritime museum
    GALLE, Sri Lanka (AFP) - Marine archeologists spent nine years trawling the seabed of Sri Lanka's Galle port to collect thousands of centuries-old treasures buried underwater in shipwrecks. But it took just a few seconds for them to be reclaimed by the ocean when a tsunami battered the shores of this island nation on December 26 and swept away everything in its path, including hopes of opening the country's first maritime museum. 

    Modernizing the fisher folk: Will it work?
    "Modern Houses to replace Shanties"
    (BG) The relocation of fishing communities is one of several issues Sri Lanka is confronting as it struggles to rebuild. "Our idea is to move the fishermen into housing" away from the coast "that is different, vastly different, from what they were used to," said Tara De Mel,  head of the Center for National Operations. "The type of housing that will be designed -- apartments or small cabanas -- will definitely be more modern than what they're used to, and that's what our team of architects and engineers are putting together." Authorities in Sri Lanka have tried many times to move fishing communities by building them houses inland. "Every time they've returned," said P. Saravanamuttu, executive director of the Center for Policy Alternatives. "Often they just rent out the home they were given and go back to the beach."
    Amid the Ruin and Sorrow the Reservoir of Kindness Remains
    "We survived the trauma of this disaster in Unawatuna because we had the generosity and hospitality of the Sri Lankans. Every family in the village took in tourists for the three days we had to wait before we were evacuated. They shared their meager belongings, their limited food and their precious water. They, who had nothing and had lost much, gave everything."

    Tsunami lifts JVP
    As Sri Lankans walked around stunned after the Dec. 26 tsunami and as federal officials were absent in the midst of the worst national disaster in memory, the JVP was on the street in force, with an aid plan, and with an advertising campaign that would have make Washington lobbyists envious. In the south and east the movement put on an extraordinary show of organizational readiness, in the midst of sudden tragedy.

    Making Peace With the Punishing Sea
    A wall of water rewrote his life, his livelihood and his village. Instead, he stood on the beach under a moonless sky, unmoving and unsure, intimidated by waves he would have challenged easily three weeks ago.

    Tea with the Tamil Tigers
    (Salon.com) Inside a camp controlled by Sri Lanka's militant rebels, I investigate rumors that the Tamil people are being shortchanged in tsunami aid. From my limited research, I'm reasonably confident that the Tamil camps, in Tiger-controlled areas, are being treated as well as their Muslim, Hindu and Christian compatriots, and that the rumors of their neglect have been greatly exaggerated. Like the refugees I have visited throughout Sri Lanka, the Tamils are a people whose plight transcends religion or ideology. 

    Disabled lay in their beds as waters engulfed them
    Some floated away on mattresses to their deaths
    GALLE, Sri Lanka (AP) - Screaming with fear, paralysed children at a shelter for the physically disabled and mentally ill lay helpless in their beds as water surged into their dormitories during the tsunami that ravaged coastal areas of southern Asia. Some desperate children gripped the rafters as the water level rose inside the one-storey Sambodhi shelter, while others floated away on mattresses to their deaths, witnesses say. Just 41 of the 102 residents of the home survived, caretaker Kumar Deshapriya said Saturday. 

    Assessing Needs Where There Are So Many
    some assistance was coming from a local church but recipients were asked to pray at the church in order to receive the care packages. Consequently, many were very uneasy about receiving further aid. Although Sri Lankans are tolerant of other religions, they have been wary of religious organizations in the post-tsunami era. This has been confirmed in the local papers as a major concern in the country and it was a theme brought up by people we spoke with.

    Tsunami Aftermath: Post-Traumatic Stress
    (Salon.com) "We're not seeing a lot of injuries anymore," he replies. "Most of what we're dealing with now is post-traumatic stress disorder." What's interesting, Kerr remarks, is that the men, women and children all manifest the syndrome with different symptoms. "For children, the main thing is fear of the sea," Kerr says. "They won't go near the water. For women, they can't sleep. When they come in, they tell us everything is fine -- but soon the truth comes out. They are just not sleeping. For men, it is different. They come in, claiming to be sick and looking sick. But they are not sick; there is nothing physically wrong with them. Then we know it is the post-traumatic stress."

    'Baby 81': No Name but Many Parents
    Tsunami Takes him to New York
    (AP) One man standing outside the nursery at Kalmunai Base Hospital threatened to kill himself and his wife if they are not given the baby. A woman at the hospital said she would kill the doctors unless she gets him. The battle over the wide-eyed boy, who appears to be about three or four months old, symbolizes the enormous loss in the Dec. 26 disaster. The infant, bruised and covered in mud but otherwise healthy, was brought to the hospital hours after the tsunami struck Kalmunai. He was given the nickname "baby 81" because his real name is not known and he was the 81st admission that terrible day.


    Arugam Bay: The buried village
    (Salon.com) Prior to the tsunami, Arugam Bay was considered one of the 10 best surf spots in the world; the British held their surfing championships here in 2003. Aside from a thriving tourism industry, the community included thousands of fishermen and their families. But the three waves of December's tsunami struck this region with apocalyptic force, killing an estimated 3,000 people, flattening the fishing villages, and turning the strand of beachside hotels and restaurants into a scene of Hiroshima-like ruin.
    In memory of Per Goodman
    Stardust Will Rise From The Ashes
    Stardust was the jewel hotel of Arugam Bay and the dream of Merete Scheller and Per Goodman. It was a hotel, a paradise and a retreat for many grateful guests from close and afar. In his characteristic, charming way, he shared his personal thoughts and aspirations with every guest and he let his deep understanding, generosity and love for the local people of Pottuvil. On 26th of December 2004 Tsunami killer waves destroyed the hotel and took its creator Per Goodman with it.

    Tsunami Survivors form " Friends of Unawatuna "
    A British survivor of the Indian Ocean tsunami disaster Jake Zarins returned to Sri Lanka today to assist the local community which helped him and other tourists escape the devastation. He said: People who got out after the incident are helping because we got a lot of help from local people at the time when they should have been concentrating on their own friends and family. Friends of Unawatuna hopes to raise more money and help the villagers rebuild the basic infrastructure necessary to allow them to reconstruct their lives.


    SENTHALIR : war orphans devastated by tsunami
    There were 135 children aged between 3-15 years in one home called Senthalir. This home was completely destroyed with heavy loss of life. 94 children lost their lives. 38 survived. Only 30 bodies so far have been recovered and identified. Very tragic indeed. Senthalir in English means Tender Sprout. Very young children, taken away in a moment of madness by the ocean. Let us take a few moments to remember and pray for their souls.

    Man saved 5,000 from tsunami
    Sri Lankan recognized threat, sent village to safety
    Arizona State University Professor Fernando and other scientists stopped Thursday in Galbokka to learn why, though the area was hit hard by the giant wave, only one life was lost. In similarly hard-hit areas, as many as one-third to one-half of the residents were swept to their deaths. As the team sought along the narrow road on the southwestern coast for a turnoff to the village, a woman who was asked for directions pointed down a narrow dirt track. "You must talk to Victor," she said. "It's because of him that we didn't die."

    Planning the unplanned
    Architecture for Humanity to rebuild Kirinda
    Architecture for Humanity has sent a team of planners, architects, biologists and environmentalists to Kirinda in the hope of helping villagers to rebuild their community in a safe and sustainable way. "The community will be a 50% player in this," Sinclair stresses. "But when push comes to shove, we will be making the tough decisions." The team plans to work in Kirinda throughout 2005, and hopes to begin extensive building work this summer.

    A Tale of two Disasters and the Fickleness of Terror Politics
    (UTHR) At the bottom of their heart all Sri Lankans want to live in peace with one another. This is what the Tidal Wave taught us. What we saw is the people eager to help each other, forgetting all differences. Whatever community we belong to, there is something called Sri Lankan hospitality. The politicians should remember that when they get back to negotiations.
     
    An Undignified Postscript for Sri Lanka's Dead
    In death, as in life, the gap between the rich and the poor is wide.
    (LA Times) At the Colombo National Hospital, the bodies of foreigners are brought to a lab where they're numbered and photographed. Blood and DNA samples are taken. The bodies are carefully stored in refrigerated containers until they can be identified and transported back to their home countries. A different ritual unfolds 70 miles south in Galle. A truck designed to carry telephone poles pulls up on a dirt road and disgorges the bodies of Sri Lankans on land that was once a palm oil plantation. Several dozen decomposing bodies are dragged off the truck and dumped into a quarter-mile-long mass grave holding about 1,600 corpses. As rich countries work to identify their tsunami victims, the poor island nation uses mass graves. 


    They survived Tsunami, But their days are numbered
    Most overlooked victims of devastating tsunami, increasingly desperate creatures existing without shelter and little food or even clean water
    (LA Times) ULLE, Sri Lanka. They're dogs of all sizes, color and character, former pets that have been left without masters after the tsunami flooded this eastern Sri Lankan village, killing at least 1,000 of its 6,000 residents. For three weeks, hundreds of dogs have wandered through the rubble of Ulle in search of food, puddles from which to lap and often just a reassuring pat on the head. The animals are too timid to compete with humans for the food that arrives at refugee camps every day. Last weekend, Sri Lankan officials began planning a dog eradication program after one person in Ampara province, which includes Ulle, reportedly contracted rabies, presumably after being bitten by a dog.

    The most tragic lesson at a school in Sri Lanka, nature s grim math
    NAVALADI, Sri Lanka - Classes were supposed to start today after the end-of-the-year holiday at the Namahal Vidyalayam School in what used to be a fishing village on this sliver of sand between the Indian Ocean and a saltwater lagoon. But no class bell is going to ring. At least 150 of the school's 313 students are dead. Another 11 are missing.

    Why it killed some and not others
    Faith Divides the Survivors and It Unites Them, Too
    The tsunami reinforced a central Buddhist tenet: "If you think something will happen, it never will," he said. "If you think it never will happen, it will." A similar sense of the limits of man and the greatness of God informed the words of Nasir Mohammad in Hambantota. It is not for humans to explain why so many children died, but to accept it, he said. "God makes the world," "He can give, he can take. Sometimes he gives more. Sometimes he takes."

    Why us? Why here? Why now?
    Countless Souls Cry Out to God
    Caught up in the disaster, they had no time for religious ceremonies of any kind. In Sri Lanka, as in coastal southern India and along the beaches of Indonesia, there was only time to dig huge holes in the ground and shovel in the dead. Muslims, Hindus, Christians and Buddhists have lived together peacefully for centuries. "Let the dead be buried together. They died together in the sea. Let their souls get peace together."
     

    Dark forces behind tsunami disaster - Conspiracy theorists
    Among the more common suggestions is that eco-weapons which can trigger earthquakes and volcanoes remotely through the use of electromagnetic waves were being tested. More outlandish theories include one that aliens caused the earthquake to try and correct the "wobbly rotation of the Earth". 

    Tidal waves of generosity hit the world
    Who is more Generous?
    $1 billion - USA, #300 million - UK, Euro 300 Million - Germany
    Donations in absolute terms, showing that Norwegians donated the most per head of population ($13.20) followed by the Swedes ($12.04), the Dutch ($9.16) the Australians ($5.23) and so on, down to the Americans with a donation of $1.08 per head, and the French, whose per head donation amounted to 80 US cents. The Observer table places Saudi Arabs in the middle of the pack, at No. 6 with a donation of $4 per head, but still outranking Canadians, Austrians, Brits, Greeks, Americans and French in their generosity. 

    Grieving parents wait for ocean to return children
    NAVALADY BEACH, Sri Lanka -- As dawn breaks over Sri Lanka's coast, dozens of parents come to the beach where huge waves seized their children a week ago.  "They believe their kids are alive and the sea will return them -- one day," UNICEF chief Carol Bellamy said Sunday after touring this island country's tsunami-devastated shore. Children accounted for a staggering 40 per cent, or 12,000, of Sri Lanka's death total of 30,000, officials said. But without bodies to mourn over, many parents find it hard to believe their children are dead. Some children were buried in mass graves, before parents were told. Many were swept out to sea.

    Samaritan Children's Home in Navalady
    TRAGEDY AVERTED: 28 orphans saved
    Navalady, Sri Lanka -- Two hundred yards away from the beach, in the orphanage he had built, Dayalan Sanders lounged in his bed early Sunday morning. He was thinking, he said, about the sermon he was due to deliver in the chapel in half an hour. A few yards away, most of the 28 children under his care were still in their rooms, getting ready for services.

    Tsunami swallows nursery school, children
    KARAITIVU, Sri Lanka (Reuters) - Bob Uppington, a retired teacher from England, came to this tiny Sri Lankan tsunami-ravaged fishing village to find 40 children. But visiting a local nursery school and a refugee camp on Sunday, a week after giant waves hit, he found no faces to match the snapshots of the three- to four-year-olds he had visited less than a fortnight before Sri Lanka's worst natural disaster hit.
     
    Yala National Park: 250 believed to have died
    Tidal waves has caused severe damage to Yala National Park with more than 250 foreign and local tourists believed to have died. "Yala Safari" tourist hotel in close proximity to the main gate of Yala National Park has been completely destroyed . At the time of the incident about 250 foreign and local tourists had been occupying the hotel. About 100 dead bodies of tourists were discovered within the park yesterday (27) by Wildlife Officers and Army Officers and about 60 of them are foreigners.
    Former Chancellor of Germany, Helmut Kohl survives tsunami, stays to help Sri Lankans
     HAMBURG 3 Jan- After surviving Asia's killer tsunami in Sri Lanka, Helmut Kohl, 74, the former German chancellor, has vowed to stay on in Sri Lanka to help organise relief for children and to demonstrate that the country needed tourist earnings. 
    Panadura: Another body, another wail
    The path to several thousand private hells is all too public. In this small town 20 miles south of the Sri Lankan capital, Colombo, it leads down the open-sided corridors of the district hospital to a garden at the back, and the mortuary beyond. "We have received 44 bodies here so far, 23 women, 16 men, and five children," said Sub-Inspector DJ Karanaike. "Thirty-five have been identified already."
    Kinniya island: Survivors stunned in the devastation
    At least 580 of Kinniya's 80,000 residents were killed or have disappeared; about 5,000 homes were destroyed or damaged; more than 30,000 people are without shelter, according to the local emergency unit. Some 2,500 people were injured in the disaster. "They are mainly superficial injuries but they can become infected, there are complications, sudden fevers, and we have the first cases of acute gastroenteritis. We expect an outbreak of diarrhea," said a 32-year-old doctor named Ajeedh. 
    Galle is now a city of death and tears
    Galle, a tourist city some 100 km south of Colombo, is one of the places  hit most by the tsunami. Over 800 people died and more than 500 injured in the tsunamis here, according to local police officials. Around 2,500 people are still missing in Galle district. "My wife and my sons were whirled away by the floods," said D.G. Lal crying loudly. He added many vehicles near the sea were washed away "like leaves," and one of them "with 17 people on it disappeared in no time." A 24-year-old man working for a local hotel pointed to a seaside marsh and said some bodies were still buried inside the marsh. He said it's too dangerous to go inside to recover the bodies.
    Ampara most devastated with possible 25000 deaths
    Ampara district on the southeastern coast of Sri Lanka was directly in the path of the December 26 tsunami and was the first to be hit. Massive waves swept over the low-lying coast without warning, flattening buildings and sweeping people away. It was a fresh calamity in a district that has already been deeply scarred by 20 years of civil war. While the government puts the death toll at 13,703, the actual figure is probably twice as high. Those we spoke to, including several divisional secretaries, estimated the number killed at nearly 25,000, with more than 2,500 still missing. 
    Buddha statues in South spared by Tsunami
    "Its a miracle"  residents
    (The Island) The Ministry of Buddha Sasana said that 39 Buddhist temples were destroyed by last Sundays Tsunami tidal waves in Galle, Matara and Hambantota districts, but miraculously none of the statues of Lord Buddha had been damaged or swept into the ocean.
    The ministry said there were no reports of any Buddhist monks in these temples being killed or injured by the monstrous waves. The damage to these Buddhist temples is estimated to be around Rs. 36 millions and the ministry has already allocated Rs. 4.5 million for their restoration, a spokesman said. 
    Killer  waves swept her three boys and three girls
    I wish that my husband and I would die soon.
    PALLAI, Sri Lanka - Housewife Viyarseeli Nadarajahlingams whole life revolved around her six children and helping her husband mend his fishing nets on an idyllic white sand beach at Sri Lankas northern tip. But she could only watch helplessly in horror as giant waves swept her three boys and three girlsthe youngest just a year old and the eldest 13 -- to their deaths, and she is struggling to give new meaning to her life. Young men have lost new brides, mothers have lost babies, whole families have been destroyed - and most survivors vow they will never return to live by the sea.

    Camps washed away:  Military personnel, Sea Tigers Killed.
    Brigade Commander and 18 soldiers were reported dead at Kalkudah.
    Dec 28, Colombo. A Colonel, one Major, one Lieutenant, one Navy Lieutenant and two Warrant Officers (WO II) of the Army and Navy were among the 60 Army and Navy personnel now confirmed killed. 
    Sri Lankan tsunami victims Express anger and concern
    The poorest of the poor most affected
    With more dead bodies being discovered in the southern, eastern and northern coastal areas of Sri Lanka, the authorities admitted on Tuesday that the death toll from last Sundays tsunami could rise to 25,000. A Reuters report quoted social welfare minister, Sumedha Jayasena, declaring, Dead bodies are washing ashore along the coast. Reports reaching us from the rescue workers indicate there are 25,000 feared dead. We dont know what to do. But many people simply do not believe the government estimates.


    One psychiatrist for 1.3 million of the world's most traumatized people
    A new wave of pain in Lanka
    Even before the tidal wave, Sri Lankans were one of the world's most suicide-prone populations, with paranoid schizophrenics, manic-depressives, rape victims and thousands of torture victims from the civil war.  Now add to that the families of more than 30,000 tsunami fatalities in the region. Tens of thousands of homeless, jobless, destitute refugees. Orphans in the hundreds.  

    world's worst rail accident - Sri Lanka's Ground Zero
    The Samudra Devi 's fate qualifies as the world's worst rail accident, outstripping the death toll of around 800 who died when a cyclone blew a train off a bridge into the Bagmati river in Bihar, India, in 1981. Eight rust-colored cars lay in deep pools of water amid a ravaged grove of palm trees. The force of the waves had torn the wheels off some cars, and the train tracks twisted like a loop on a roller coaster. The exact number of passengers who were on the train is unclear. Police believed there were 1,700. This was based, they said, on Colombo Fort station's record of 1,500 ticket sales for Galle, plus an estimated 200 who, as usual, get on the train at various stops without tickets. 
    Sri Lankans who lost all discover shelter at school
    (Panadura) Life here can be measured in announcements, made over the school's public address system every five minutes by D.B. Gerald Fernando, 63, a retired government worker. In a monotone, he tells people what to do. For the barber, go to one end of campus, starting at 12:15 p.m. For clean water, go to the other end. Pregnant women should line up for water thermoses at 1:30 p.m. and sheets at 4:30 p.m. Lights should be out by 9:30 p.m. All day long, Fernando calls out the most important piece of advice he knows: "Wash your hands, wash your hands, wash your hands." So far, there have been no cases of diarrhea here, no scabies, no chickenpox. The medical staff tries to be vigilant. The school principal, A.D. Karunarathna, treats the refugees like new students, registering each person and making a file. 

    Saving Sri Lanka's sea turtles
    Rare green turtles gone with the waves, Hatchery destroyed
    BENTOTA, Sri Lanka (CNN) -- The tsunami ended so many human lives, the environmental impact has taken second place.n Sri Lanka, though, there are fears entire species can be wiped out. At particular risk are sea turtles. Amid the rubble lies the remains of one of the world's last hopes for five endangered species of marine turtle. The waves killed thousands of baby turtles that were to have been released into the sea the very day the tsunami struck. 

    Hambantota - Most remote,  Poorest, Hardest hit
    Sri Lankas Hambantota district in the south of the island is one of the areas worst affected by the tsunami that hit on December 26. While the current official death toll claims 4,500 were killed when giant tidal waves washed over the low-lying coastal strip, survivors claim that this figure is a gross underestimate and that no one will ever know the real number of lives lost.  Two thousand three hundred and fifty seven dead bodies have already been discovered. There are 23,781 displaced persons in 32 refugee camps. As a result of this disaster 4,047 houses, 76 public institutions, 1,087 commercial buildings and 411 vehicles have been destroyed. 1050 boats in Hambantota district had been destroyed due to tsunami tidal waves.

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